Front-axle connection for vehicles.



'A. J. GOYETTB. FRONT AXLE GONNEGTION FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED mLyam moe 934,067, Patented Sept.14 ,1909.

fl m i M 20 I7 22 g 24 32 /8 2J 7 M 3/ 2C] /0' /3 6 26 q 3 A 32 M 3 II'IGIIIIIHII |O V .3/ 21/3 27 I ,2'5 23,39 30 WITNESSES:

ARTHUR J. GOYETTE, 0F SPRINGFIELD,

DALY, OF SPRINGFIELD,

P grr.ntr orFio MASSACHUSETT$ ASSiGNOR TO THOMAS E. MASSACHUSETTS.

FRONT-AXLE CONNECTION FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

Application filed July 30, 1908. Serial No. 446,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. GoYnT'rn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Front-Axle C0 nection for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices applicable to vehicles for the purpose' of enabling them to turn or to be turned, and consists essentially of certain peculiarly constructed members designed to connect the front axle members of a vehicle Withthe king-bolt thereof, as hereinafter set forth.

The object of my invention is to produce a connection of this kind which permits the front axle of a vehicle to which said invention is applied to turn and which at the same time throws the front end of the body of said vehicle over in the opposite direction understood wheels so small as to be capable of being turned under the vehicle body are not generally desired. My device, while being particularly Well adapted for what are known as drop-bottom carts or wagons, is equally well adapted for vehicles of the @rdmary A-further object is to provide a front axle connection which is strong and durableyet simple and inexpensive.

I ..attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which.-

Figure 1 is a sectional view of thcfront part of the body of a drop-bottom cart and a cross-section of the front axle members of such cart having my invention embodied therewith; Fig. 2, a bottom view of the parts shown in the preceding view, all cxcepting the middle portions of the front axle members being broken off, and, Fig. 3, 5 a similar v ew to Fig. 1 only tion of the bodyof an ordinary wagon is here represented in place of the drop-bottom variety.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

that a por- Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be, seen that I show a portion of a dropbottom body 5, including theupper floor 6 at the front, a part of the lower floor 7, and' A front axle is rep-' being of metal and the short front end 8. l resented at 9, such axle having the usual wooden bar 10 thereon. v

mounted on said spring is a bolster or block 12. The axle 9 necessarily curves upward between the middle portion and the parts which are received into the wheel hubs in order to accommodate wheels of the size re- I Mounted on the bar 10 is a spring 11, and

pearing at 13 and its hub at 14. Underneath parts just pointed out are old and Wellknown. An angular bar 16, provided with a downwardly and forwardly projecting lip 17, is securely fastened to the middle joist l5 and to the floor 7. The lip 17 is located below the long horizontal arm of the bar 16 a short distance from the front end of the same. Vertically alining holes are made in the bar 16 and the lip 17 and in the middle joist 15' and the floor 6 above for a kingbolt 18, a washer 19 being introduced between t-he head of said bolt and said floor. The lower terminal of the king-bolt 18 is screw-threaded to receive nuts 20 and 21. The king-bolt 18 is situated some distance back of the front end of the body 5, approximately in the center of the floor 6 in the present instance.

block 12 and extends rearwardly to be received between the bar ldand the lip 17 f and to loosely engage the king-bolt 18. j Preferably the draw-bar 22 is triangular in shape, the base of the triangle being riveted, screwed, or otlihrwise fastened to the block 12 and the ape X of said triangle pivoting on the king-bolt. Braces 23-23, extending between the bottom of the upper half of the spring 11 and the arms of the draw-bar 22, may be provided to still further stiffen the 1 connection. between said bar and the axle members. The front end of each brace 23 is secured to the upper half of the spring ll nuts 25-25,, such clip passing over the block 1 12 in a transverse groove therein and then downward on both sides of said block and {of said upper half of the spring. while the I on the under side I l quired, the rim of one of such wheels apthe floor 6 adjacent to the side edges thereof and in the center are three joists 15. The- A draw-bar 22 is rigidly attached to the )y means of a clip 2-1 and one" end between said nuts to said king-bolt rect support I provide the nuts sire or intend to be restricted to the exact rear end of such brace is bolted or otherwise 1 forms of my invention herein shown and defastened to the corresponding. or ad acent arm of the draw-bar. A shoe 26, generally in the form of an arc of a circle having the same'center as that of the king-bolt 18 and usuallyconsisting of metal, is fastened to the underside of the joists 15 to form the difor the front end of the body 5 on the draw-bar 22. The base of the drawbar and the shoe 26 are in rubbing contact scribed.- v v What I claim as my invention,- and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The vcombination, ina device of the class specified, with the a king-bolt suitably supported at the top, of a draw-bar rigidly attached. to such axle whenever the axle 9 is turned, and at other members and extending rearward directl times in stationary contact. An auxiliary draw-bar '27 connects the king-bolt 18 with the axle 9' below the draw-bar 22. The rear end of the draw-bar 27 loosely engages the king-bolt below the lip 17, and the front end of said draw-bar is riveted to a plate 28 which is held tightly against the bottom of the axle 9 by means of two clips 29 and the proper number of nuts 30.

From the foregoing it is plain that, oW-in to the fact that the two draw-bars are xe to the front axle members while being free to swing on the king-bolt, the axle will turn on said king-bolt and will also throw the under said body to rotatably engage sue king-bolt, and an auxiliary draw-bar beneath and independent of said first-men- \tioned draw-bar, sai auxiliary-'draw-bar having its front axle members and it rear end rotatably engaged with said king-bolt, and a brace for said king-bolt, such brace having oneend connected with the lower part of the king-bolt and the other end fastened to a fixed part of the vehicle.

The combination, in a class specified, with the body of a vehicle, the front axle members of such vehicle and a suitably supported king-bolt, of a rawbody of the cart over in the opposite direction, thus producing a comparatively quick turn of the vehicle and bringing the same around. in almost if not quite as small a space as would be required in the event that the front wheels were sufiiciently low to cut under. V In order to assist'in holding the kingbolt 18 rigidly in place and to keep up the adjacent end of the auxiliary draw-bar 27,

20 and 21- already men- 31 which is secured at and extending rearward directly under such shoearranged onthe bottom of said body to bear on such draw-bar, and an auxiliary drawebar beneath and independent of said draw-bar having its tached to said axle members and: its rear end rotatably engaged with said'king-bol 3. The combination in a class specified, with the body of a vehicle, the front axle members of such vehicle a king-bolt, and 'a. perforated bar provided tioned, and a brace and at the other end to a bracket 32 riveted to the'upright part of the bar 16. This brace stiffens the construction and adds strength'to the same.

In the last view the front part of an ordinary wagon body is shown at 33, and the front terminal of a reach at 34. The reach 34 instead of being connected with the front of a draw-bar rigidlyattached to sue king-bolt between the aforesaid bar and end r' idlyqattached to'said body of a ,vehicle, the frontaxle members of such vehicle, and a device of the bar rigidly attached to suchaxle members v body to rotatably engage such king-bolt, a

first-mentioned draw-bar, said. auxiliary front end rigidly atdevlce of I the axle, as is customary, has its forward end -a auX aly draw-bar below said firstfirml supported by oblique braces Sta- 35 mentioned draw-bar, said auxiliary draw whic depend from the floor 36 of th b dy bar having its front end rigidly attached to 33, or by any other suitable means. Here said axle members at a point remote from the rear'end of the brace 31 is fastened to the contiguous end of the reach 3 1, and a short bar 37 is used in place of the longer bar 16, such bar 37, however, being attached to the middle joist 15 in the same manner as the corresponding part of the bar 16 in the other case; otherwise, similar members are the place of attachment of said first-mentioned draw-bar rear end rotatably bolt below said lip.

4;. The combination, in a devicefof the class specified, with the body of a vehicle, and the front axle members. of such vehicle,

engaged with the king employed as before, and the operation is the 'of a king-bolt, a supporting bar and lip for same. such king-bolt, such bar being fastened be- My invention can be applied to old as well neath such .body, a brace for such king-bolt,

as new vehicles.

Obviously it will be necessary to change the construction of my device in the matter of minor details so as to adapt the same to different vehicles, consequently I do not demeans of said king-bolt and rigidl to said axle members,

The combination,

P attached in a device of the.

and two independent draw-bars pivotally connected with said bar and sai brace by to the axle members and its '10s with a perforated lip attached beneath such, body to receive and support such kin -bol1t,'

ax e. a members and extending rearward directly I taehed 10 the vehicle class epecifiechwviththo body of a vehicle, and the front axle members of such vehicle, of a king-bolt, a supporting bar and lip for such king-bolt, such bar neatli such body, two inde eacl1 having one end with said body said king-bolt and the other end rigidly :it- I to said axle members, and a brace having one end fasten d 10 ii fided part of J and the btlier end fastened to the I en ent draw-bars pivotally connected and said bar by means of lcinglmlt.

U. The (OlilldllzlllUlL in :i de 'ive n'tlllie class specified. with the body wt .11 ueliicle, and the front axle members of such whiz-lg, 4' 01' u king-bolt, a supportingbar and lip for such king-bolt, such bar being'fastened bv- I neuth such body, a draw-bar engaging u! bein fastened be,

I one end such king-bolt between said bar and J lip and being fastened at the other end to such axle members, an auxiliai y draw-bur engaging at one end such king-belt below said lip a'nd being fastened at the other end axle members, :1 nut on said kingbolt below the engaging terminal of said auxiliary draw-bar, a

in engagement with brace having one end the king-bolt belnw said nut and the other end fastened to a fixed part. of the vehicle, and 21 second nut on the king-b0lt below the engngine' bei'n' innl wt said lH'zH'O.

ARTHUR ,l GO YElTE. ll'ilnesses:

F. A. CUTTER, S. S. TAFT. 

